Smokeless barbecue

Abstract

A smokeless barbecue including a grill adapted for receiving food to be cooked thereon and at least one radiating element placed underneath the grill. The radiating element is arranged so as to radiate heat mainly in a direction substantially parallel to the grill. The barbecue further includes at least a reflecting surface facing the radiating element and arranged so as to reflect, towards the grill, the radiating heat coming from the radiating element, and a cover device placed between the grill and the radiating element to shield the radiating element from substances falling from the grill.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A smokeless barbecue comprising:
 a grill adapted for receiving food to be cooked thereon; 
 a radiating element underneath said grill; 
 a cover device between said grill and said radiating element to shield said radiating element from substances falling from said grill; and 
 a reflecting surface facing said radiating element, said reflecting surface being substantially planar and arranged at an oblique angle to said grill to reflect, towards said grill, heat radiating from said one radiating element, wherein said radiating element comprises 
 a gas burner and a radiating body over said gas burner and under said cover device, said radiating body being adapted, when heated by a flame and by hot fumes produced by said gas burner, to emit heat to irradiate said reflecting surface, 
 wherein said reflecting surface has a bottom edge, wherein said radiating body is arranged at or above the bottom edge of said reflecting surface, and 
 wherein said bottom edge of said reflecting surface is below a bottom of the radiating body, and wherein the one reflecting surface has a top edge above a top of the radiating body. 
 
     
     
       2. A smokeless barbecue comprising a grill adapted for receiving food to be cooked thereon, a radiating element underneath said grill, and a cover device between said grill and said radiating element, wherein said radiating element comprises:
 a gas burner; and 
 a radiating body, said radiating body being over said gas burner and under said cover device and being adapted, when heated by a flame and by hot fumes produced by said gas burner, to emit heat by radiation, wherein said radiating body comprises a reverse V-shaped radiating plate comprising two divergent plane branches, wherein free extremities of said two divergent branches enclose said flame produced by said gas burner, wherein said radiating body comprises an opening for flow of said fumes, and wherein said radiating body is arranged so as to irradiate a reflecting surface facing said radiating body and arranged so as to reflect, towards said grill, the heat radiating from said radiating body, said reflecting surface having a bottom edge, wherein said radiating body is arranged at or above the bottom edge of said reflecting surface. 
 
     
     
       3. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 2 , wherein said radiating body is arranged so that heat generated by said gas burner radiates from said radiating body at a relatively small angle with respect to an axis that is parallel to a grid plane of said grill. 
     
     
       4. A smokeless barbecue comprising:
 a grill adapted for receiving food to be cooked thereon; 
 a reflecting surface; and 
 a radiating element underneath said grill, wherein said reflecting surface is arranged to reflect, towards said grill, heat radiating from said radiating element, said reflecting surface having a bottom edge, wherein said radiating body is arranged at or above the bottom edge of said reflecting surface; and 
 a cover device between said grill and said radiating element to shield said radiating element from substances falling from said grill, 
 wherein said radiating element comprises a gas burner and a radiating body, said radiating body being over said gas burner and under said cover device and being adapted, when heated by a flame and by hot fumes produced by said gas burner, to emit heat by radiation, said radiating body being arranged to radiate said heat in a direction towards said reflecting surface, 
 wherein said radiating body comprises a reverse V-shaped radiating plate comprising two divergent substantially planar branches connected to define a closed apex, wherein free extremities of said two divergent branches enclose said flame produced by said gas burner, and 
 wherein an opening extends through said two divergent branches for allowing fumes to flow therethrough. 
 
     
     
       5. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , wherein the smokeless barbecue further comprises a reflecting surface facing one of said two divergent substantially planar branches and arranged so as to reflect, towards said grill, heat radiating from said one of said two divergent substantially planar branches. 
     
     
       6. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , comprising a single radiating element under said grill in correspondence to a transverse axis of said grill. 
     
     
       7. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , said radiating element being completely covered by said grill. 
     
     
       8. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , wherein said cover device comprises a reverse V-shaped beam or tile, over said radiating element and having a length equal to or greater than said radiating element, such that said reverse V-shaped beam or tile completely covers said radiating element. 
     
     
       9. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , wherein on the external surface of said two divergent branches there are indentations, each indentation forming a lip protruding from an internal surface of a respective one of said two divergent branches. 
     
     
       10. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , wherein said reflecting surface is substantially planar. 
     
     
       11. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 10 , wherein said reflecting surface comprises two reflecting surfaces, each of the two reflecting surfaces having a bottom edge,
 the two reflecting surfaces being arranged at an oblique angle with respect to the grill, the two reflecting surfaces being arranged such that the two reflecting surfaces are arranged on opposite sides of one radiating element from each other, the bottom edge of each of the two reflecting surfaces spaced apart from each other, such that the one radiating element is accommodated in a space between the two reflecting surfaces. 
 
     
     
       12. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , wherein said reflecting surface is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to said grill and is arranged under said grill. 
     
     
       13. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 4 , wherein said cover device is a single element. 
     
     
       14. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 8 , wherein said cover device is a single element. 
     
     
       15. The smokeless barbecue according to  claim 14 , wherein said cover device hinders fluid flow therethrough.